Safety belt connector cover

ABSTRACT

A safety belt connector having an elongated means composed of a metal plate is provided with a plastic cover. The cover coats a major portion of the exterior surface of the elongated means preventing temperature variance thereon and presenting an attractive exterior for the connector.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to accessories for safety belts in motorvehicles, such as automobiles, and more particularly to a cover for theconnector anchoring a lock-carrying part of the belt to the vehiclefloor.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART

Safety belt systems have been developed in order to reduce the number offatalities and serious injuries resulting from motor vehicle accidents.Most of these systems include a belt connector having one end anchoredto the vehicle floor and the other end provided with a buckle adapted tocoact with the tongue of a seat belt assembly similarly secured to thevehicle. The connector generally comprises a plastic boot housing awebbing joining the buckle to an anchor on the vehicle floor. Suchconnectors are costly to form and assemble. In addition, they are large,bulky structures that decrease the seating space available for vehiclepassengers. Connectors constructed of cable or metal strips have beenproposed. Such metal connectors are uncomfortably cold in the winter anddangerously hot in the summer. They are aesthetically unattractive, andprovide relatively hard objects within the vehicle passenger compartmentthat can tear packages, rip clothes and injure occupants presenttherein. As a result, safety belt connectors of the type describedinvolve problems of cost, comfort, configuration and safety which havenot yet been overcome.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides a safety belt connector that is smaller,aesthetically more attractive, less expensive to manufacture, morecomfortable to wear and safer to use than safety belt connectors of thetype disclosed above. The connector has an elongated means composed of ametal plate. A first terminus of the elongated means is adapted to besecured to the vehicle. The elongated means has a second terminusadapted to fixedly support a first fastening means for receiving thetongue of a seat belt. Substantially the entire exterior surface of saidelongated means is coated with a cover means composed of plasticmaterial.

The safety belt connector of this invention has advantageous structuralfeatures. The metal plate is less expensive to fabricate and bothsmaller and stronger than boot-packaged web-anchor assemblies. Problemsof temperature fluctuation presented by metal connectors are eliminated.An aesthetically attractive, relatively soft plastic coating decreasestemperature variance on the exterior surface of the connector andprevents torn packages, ripped clothes and injuries to vehicleoccupants. As a result, the safety belt connector of this invention isfar more attractive in terms of its size, cost, comfort, safety andappearance than previous safety belt connectors.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention will be more fully understood and further advantages willbecome apparent when reference is made to the following detaileddescription of the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a side view, partly broken away of a safety belt connector;

FIG. 2 is a section taken through line 2--2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a side view partly in section of a safety belt connector thesection showing a chamber adapted to cover an end thereof;

FIG. 4 is a side view, partly broken away of an alternate embodiment ofthe safety belt connector shown in FIG. 1.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2 of the drawings, there is illustrated apreferred form of safety belt connector incorporating the presentinvention. Other forms of safety belt connectors can also be used, thesafety belt connector, shown generally at 10, should therefore beinterpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense. As illustrated,the safety belt connector 10 has an elongated means 12 composed of ametal plate. A first terminus 14 of the elongated means 12 is adapted tobe secured to the vehicle (not shown). The elongated means 12 has asecond terminus 16 adapted to fixedly support a first fastening means 18for receiving the tongue of a seat belt (not shown). A major portion ofthe exterior surface of the elongated means 12 is coated with a covermeans 20 composed of plastic material.

The safety belt connector 10 is generally disposed in the vehicle withfirst terminus 14 secured to the vehicle floor by suitable mechanicalfasteners such as bolts or the like. Elongated means 12 extends in anupward-forward direction from the vehicle floor, the extension being asufficient length that the second terminus 16 is located slightly abovethe bottom portion of the front seat. The first fastening means 18 isfixedly mounted on the second terminus 16 by rivets 22 or the like. Suchfastening means 18 can be a buckle mechanism of conventionalconstruction and is generally comprised of a housing having an opening24 into which a coupling member such as a tongue (not shown), fixed to aseat belt anchored to the vehicle is adapted to be inserted. Insertionof the coupling member automatically effects locking engagement betweenthe coupling member and the fastening means 18. A release mechanism (notshown) is provided in the first fastening means 18 so that theconnection can be quickly released by pushing a button 26 or othersuitable means. Alternatively, the first fastening means 18 can comprisea seat belt tongue adapted to engage a buckle mechanism, the bucklemechanism to be attached to the seat belt.

Elongated means 12 is adapted to be routed between the bottom and backportions of a bench-type seat so that the first fastening means 18extends to the side of a vehicle occupant. The seat belt has sufficientlength to extend about the occupant's waist and into locking engagementwith the first fastening means 18. Although the seat belt can be asingle strap adapted to be connected across the occupant's waist, it mayalso include a shoulder harness strap having one end anchored to thevehicle and the other end secured to the coupling member.

The cover means 20 can be any plastic material which is substantiallynon-flamable and will coat to the surface of the elongated means 12 soas to provide a continuous protective covering having a thickness of atleast about 30 mils and preferably about 30 to 100 mils, and a hardnessof less than 100 Shore A. Durometer. As used in this paragraph andelsewhere in the specification and claims the term "cover means" isintended to mean plastic coatings having the aforesaid thickness andhardness characteristics. Numerous thermoplastic and thermosettingresins having these characteristics are suitable. Typical plasticmaterials from which the cover means can be formed include nylon resins,acrylic resins, polyacrylates, polyolefins, polysulfones,polycarbonates, fluoropolymers, polyesters, polybutylene terephthalate,polyvinylchloride, polyvinylidene chloride and the like.

As shown in FIG. 3, the portion of elongated means 12 covered by covermeans 20 can include the first terminus 14. In the embodiment shown, thecover means includes, as an integral part thereof, a chamber 28 havingan open bottom 30 and a closed top 32. Mechanical fastener 34, securingfirst terminus 14 to the vehicle floor (not shown) extends through theopen bottom 30 and into chamber 28. The latter provides the firstterminus 14 and the fastener 34 with a protective covering which isaesthetically attractive and shields vehicle occupants from temperaturefluctuations on the exterior surface of the fastener 34, includingfluctuations provided by catalytic convertors of vehicle emissioncontrol systems, changing climatic conditions and the like. Chamber 28can be provided with a plurality of apertures as in the order of abouttwo to eight apertures each having a cross-sectional area of about 0.01to 0.10 square inch. These apertures minimize temperature differentialbetween the interior of the chamber 28 and the vehicle passengercompartment.

In FIG. 4 there is illustrated a safety belt connector adapted toservice simultaneously a plurality of vehicle occupants. The safety beltconnector, shown generally at 40, has, in addition to the componentsdescribed above in connection with FIGS. 1-2, an elongated meansincluding a third terminus 42 adapted for fixed engagement with one endof a seat belt web (not shown). The seat belt web is adapted to beconnected across the waist of a vehicle occupant seated adjacent to anoccupant being serviced by the fastening means 18 (shown in phantom)associated with second terminus 16. The other end of the seat belt webis connected to a seat belt buckle adapted to mate with a couplingmember such as the tongue of a second web anchored to the vehicle.Alternatively, the other end of the seat belt web can be connected to acoupling member, such as a tongue, adapted to mate with a seat beltbuckle fixedly secured to the vehicle via a safety belt connector of thetype previously described in connection with FIGS. 1 and 2.

The safety belt connector 40 preferably includes a plurality of metalplates 44, 46. Plate 44 has a first terminus 14 and a second terminus 16of the type described in connection with FIGS. 1 and 2. Plate 46provides the third terminus 42 and, in addition, a fourth terminus 48adapted to be secured to the vehicle in the same manner as the firstterminus 14. Elongated means 12 has a central portion 50 connectingfirst terminus 14 and fourth terminus 48 with second terminus 16 andthird terminus 42. The second terminus 16 is disposed at an angle fromthe central portion 50, the angle, φ, ranging from about 30° to 80°.Third terminus 42 is similarly disposed at the angle θ of about 40° to90° from central portion 50. The angular disposition, α, between centralportion 50 and each of first terminus 14 and fourth terminus 48 canrange from about 10° to 30°. Each of metal plates 44, 46 can be diestamped from cold rolled plain carbon steel having an ultimate tensilestrength of about 80,000 -120,000 pounds and an ultimate elongation ofat least about 5 percent.

Cover means 20 is disposed about a major portion of the exterior surfaceof elongated means 12, as in the order of about 50 to 100 percent of thesurface area thereof. Preferably, the cover means is disposed about andcoats substantially the entire surface are of the elongated means 12.The coating comprising cover means 20 can be applied to the elongatedmeans 12 by spraying, dipping or painting. In dipping the elongatedmeans 12, an insert is temporarily connected to surface 52 of firstterminus 14. Upon hardening of the plastic cover 20 the insert isremoved to produce the hollow portion of the chamber 28.

In operation, the safety belt connector 10 is secured to the vehiclewith the fastening means 18 located at hip level of a vehicle occupantseated therein. At this level the coupling member of a vehicle anchoredsafety belt (not shown) located near the other hip of the occupant canbe conveniently passed across the waist and/or chest thereof tolockingly engage fastening means 18. Such an embodiment enables thecoupling member to be secured in the fastening means 18 with one hand.

Having thus described the invention in rather full detail, it will beunderstood that these details need not be strictly adhered to but thatvarious changes and modifications may suggest themselves to one skilledin the art, all falling within the scope of the present invention asdefined by the subjoined claims.

We claim:
 1. Safety belt connector, comprising:a. elongated meanscomposed of a metal plate; b. said elongated means having a firstterminus adapted to be secured to the vehicle by a mechanical fasteningmeans and a second terminus adapted to fixedly support a first fasteningmeans for receiving the tongue of a seat belt; and c. cover meanscomposed of plastic material coating a major portion of the exteriorsurface of said elongated means, said cover means including as anintegral part thereof a chamber having an open botton and a closed top,said chamber being adapted to cover each of the first terminus and themechanical fastening means.
 2. Safety belt connector as recited in claim1, wherein said plastic material is selected from the group consistingof polyvinylchloride, polyvinylidene chloride and polyolefin resins. 3.Safety belt connector as recited in claim 1, wherein said elongatedmeans includes a third terminus adapted for fixed engagement with oneend of a seat belt web.
 4. Safety belt connector as recited in claim 3,wherein the other end of said web is connected to a seat belt buckle. 5.Safety belt connector as recited in claim 3, wherein the other end ofsaid web is connected to a seat belt tongue.
 6. Safety belt connector asrecited in claim 3, wherein said elongated means is composed of aplurality of plates, a first of said plates having said first terminusand said second terminus and a second of said plates supporting saidthird terminus, said second of said plates having a fourth terminusadapted to be secured to said vehicle.
 7. Safety belt connector asrecited in claims 6, wherein said elongated means has a central portionconnecting said first terminus with said second terminus and said thirdterminus is disposed at an angle from said central portion, said angleranging from about 40° to 90°.
 8. Safety belt connector as recited inclaim 6, wherein each of said first terminus and said fourth terminus issecured to said vehicle by mechanical fastening means and said covermeans includes as an integral part thereof a chamber having an openbottom and a closed top, said chamber being adapted to cover each ofsaid first terminus, said fourth terminus and said mechanical fasteningmeans.
 9. Safety belt connector as recited in claim 3, wherein saidelongated means has a central portion connecting said first terminuswith said second terminus and said second terminus is disposed at anangle from said central portion, the angle ranging from about 30° to80°.
 10. Safety belt connector as recited in claim 3, wherein said firstfastening means and said third terminus are adapted so that the seatbelt associated with said first fastening means services a differentoccupant of the vehicle than the seat belt web associated with saidthird terminus.
 11. Safety belt connector as recited in claim 1, whereinsaid chamber has a plurality of apertures therein.
 12. Safety beltconnector as recited in claims 11, wherein the number of aperturesranges from about 2 to 8, and the cross-sectional area of each of saidapertures is about 0.01 to 0.1 square inch.
 13. Safety belt connector asrecited in claim 1, wherein said elongated means has a central portionconnecting said first terminus with said second terminus and said firstterminus is disposed at an angle from said central portion, said angleranging from about 10° to 30°.
 14. Safety belt connector as recited inclaim 1, wherein said cover means coats substantially the entireexterior surface of said elongated means.
 15. Safety belt connector asrecited in claim 1, wherein said cover means has a thickness of at leastabout 30 mils.
 16. Safety belt connector as recited in claim 1, whereinsaid cover has a hardness of less than about 100 Shore A Durometer.